What is “weight-bearing”?
Weight-bearing describes any activity you do on your feet that works your bones and muscles against gravity. Bone is living tissue that constantly breaks down and reforms. When you do regular weight-bearing exercise, your bone adapts to the impact of weight and pull of muscle by building more cells and becoming stronger. Some activities recommended to build leg, hip and lower spine strength include: • Brisk walking, jogging and hiking. • Yard work such as pushing a lawnmower and heavy gardening. • Team sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball. • Dancing, step aerobics and stair climbing. • Tennis and other racquet sports. • Skiing, skating, karate and bowling. Weight training with machines or free weights can also help build strong bones, especially in the upper body. (Swimming and bicycling are not weight-bearing activities.) You should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, four or more days a week. Besides improving bone strength, regular exercise also increases muscle streng
